Latest news with #AeroFarms
Fast Company
27-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
This vertical farming startup is bringing fresh produce—and international competitors—to the Dubai desert
When Sky Kurtz set out to grow produce in the desert via vertical farming in 2016, laying the groundwork for what became Dubai-based ag-tech startup Pure Harvest Smart Farms, 'People thought we were crazy,' he says. 'I was fearful, I would never get off the ground.' But Kurtz's came at a time when the UAE was beginning to take the idea seriously and companies like Pure Harvest began cropping up. Over the past nine years, though, Pure Harvest Farms has become one of the sector's biggest players. It has raised more than $450 million in funding, according to market analysis company PitchBook, and grows an array of crops that includes tomatoes, green vegetables, and berries in temperature-controlled facilities. With farms strategically located throughout the UAE, the company boasts the capacity to produce over 12 million kilograms of crops annually. Despite the competition, Pure Harvest has distinguished itself as the dominant player in the country's indoor farming sector. Unlike other ag-tech companies which were designed for temperate climates, Pure Harvest developed technologies specifically built to withstand the harsh climates of the Middle East. Unlike other ag-tech companies that focus on niche produce and cater to premium markets, Pure Harvest sells a wide range of produce and supplies to major supermarket chains across the country. by 2026 whereas AeroFarms launched the world's largest indoor vertical farm in Abu Dhabi in 2023. The final deadline for Fast Company's Brands That Matter Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
AeroFarms turned itself around after bankruptcy. Is it a sign that vertical farming can succeed?
After raising billions in funding, vertical farming companies have struggled. Plenty, a Silicon Valley-based startup backed by investors including Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt, filed for bankruptcy in March. Bowery, which was once valued at $2.3 billion, shut down last fall. Another startup, Fifth Season, shuttered its automated indoor farm in 2022. AeroFarms, a pioneer in the space, declared bankruptcy in 2023. The basic business model—growing crops like leafy greens indoors on tall vertical towers—hasn't proven that it can work. But AeroFarms, which raised an undisclosed amount of money after its bankruptcy and found a new CEO, has managed to turn itself around. The company has now been profitable for the last two quarters as it sells microgreens at retailers like Whole Foods and Costco. 'Despite the current skepticism, I think we've now demonstrated that vertical farming can be sustainable and profitable and deliver product at scale,' says Molly Montgomery, who became CEO of AeroFarms in September 2023. Before joining the company, Montgomery studied it at the request of investors who wanted to know if it could be a viable business. 'I was extremely skeptical about vertical farms because I had never seen a profitable business model yet,' says Montgomery. 'When they asked me, I was like, 'I'm not sure that a vertical farm can be profitable.'' Montgomery, who also serves as board director for NatureSweet, a leader in greenhouse-grown tomatoes, previously led Landec Corp., a company that contracted with outdoor growers throughout the U.S. and Mexico to make salad kits and other packaged vegetable products. But doing the due diligence on AeroFarms convinced her that it could actually succeed. She calculated that AeroFarms's technology could operate at the right production cost. And consumers liked the product, particularly its microgreens, tiny greens that are harvested when they're 4 days old. 'The missing ingredient was operational excellence,' she says. 'There wasn't enough experience in the company on how to run a vegetable production facility.' It was a tech company first, not a farming company. Montgomery's initial step was to focus: She shut down R&D facilities in New Jersey and Abu Dhabi, so all that was left was a 140,000-square-foot production facility in Virginia that had opened in 2022. Half of the staff was laid off. 'Everyone who was left was put on specific initiatives that I believed would enable us to get to farm profitability,' she says. She also hired employees with deep expertise in food production. The team went through several sprints on the basics, from food safety to training employees. Then it focused on operational issues like how to improve yield and how to maintain the robots that grow the crops. The company's automated system loads plants in the tall towers where they grow, monitors and harvests the crops, and packs up products for stores. (It runs 24/7 and has more than 2,000 spare parts, meaning that maintenance is a major task.) Montgomery also chose to focus on microgreens, which have better margins than traditional leafy greens. The company grows a variety of crops, from kale and cabbage to bok choy and spicy wasabi mustard. The young greens are more nutritious than fully grown versions of the same crops. It's not something that was ever readily available from traditional farms. When they're grown outside in soil (and often with pesticides), they have to be washed, which harms the dainty plants. 'As soon as you wash them, they begin to decay,' she says. 'So [they have] a very short shelf life. When you grow them aeroponically, we don't use any pesticides and we only spray the roots. So we do not need to wash them.' That means, she says, that AeroFarms's greens have a shelf life that lasts as long as 24 days. The company currently supplies around 70% of the retail market for microgreens, and is seeing demand for more. The company's tech may have some advantages compared to other approaches. It grows plants aeroponically, without soil and without submerging plants in standing water, so the whole system is lighter than some others, and more plants can be stacked vertically, making better use of floor space. Misting the roots with water and nutrients speeds up the plants' growth rate. Because the farms can be more productive than competitors, the company can use less energy per plant; energy is one of the biggest factors in the cost of running a vertical farm. If vertical farming can work, there could be clear benefits. Right now, most greens in the U.S. come from drought-prone regions like Arizona and California; vertical farms use 90% less water than growing outside. As climate change makes farming more difficult—especially because of extreme heat—indoor farming could theoretically help support the supply chain. And instead of shipping produce thousands of miles across the country, East Coast grocery stores could get more of it locally year-round. The industry is still nascent, and two profitable quarters aren't conclusive proof that vertical farming can succeed. Still, it's a sign of hope for a teetering field, and AeroFarms is once again planning for expansion.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AeroFarms® First to Introduce Micro Bok Choy to Consumers in U.S. Retail
A juicy and slightly sweet addition to AeroFarms' FlavorSpectrum™, Micro Bok Choy is now available nationwide at retailers including Whole Foods, Giant Food, and H Mart DANVILLE, Va., April 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AeroFarms, the leading supplier of microgreens to the U.S. retail market, today announced the launch of its newest microgreen: Micro Bok Choy. AeroFarms Micro Bok Choy is the first of its kind in U.S. retail, delivering a unique and versatile flavor for everyday meals. The mild and sweet flavor of Micro Bok Choy serves as a perfect complement to sandwiches, stir-fries, smoothies, and tacos, while its texture and bite-size appeal create an ideal lettuce substitute for center-of-the-plate salad greens. The company's new microgreen is available for purchase at leading retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods Market, Giant Food, and H Mart. Micro Bok Choy is the newest addition to the company's portfolio of seven microgreen products that deliver an exciting culinary experience across a wide FlavorSpectrum™. Each product coincides with a color on the company's FlavorSpectrum, that represents a specific flavor profile. For example, cool blue colors deliver sweet and mild notes, while reds exude a bold and zesty kick. Micro Bok Choy is categorized as "purple" in the FlavorSpectrum, signifying a mellow, clean flavor with hints of sweetness. "At AeroFarms, our obsession with flavor fuels our innovation, but nutrition is our true passion. Microgreens contain four-to-40 times more nutrients than their mature vegetable counterparts2," said AeroFarms CEO Molly Montgomery. "It's not only the quantity of calories that you consume that is important, but the quality of calories. Microgreens, including our new Micro Bok Choy, are a nutrient-dense source of essential phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals that can elevate taste AND nutrition at every meal." All AeroFarms microgreen varieties are grown and packaged at the company's indoor vertical farm located in Danville, Virginia. AeroFarms microgreens are grown using AeroFarms patented aeroponics technology and use 90% less water and 230 times less land than traditional farming. No pesticides are used on the plants, eliminating the need to wash before eating. When consumers choose to include AeroFarms microgreens in their daily meal plan, they can feel confident that they are choosing greens that are both highly nutritious and sustainably grown. Today, AeroFarms owns more than 70% of the U.S. retail market share for microgreens 1. To find AeroFarms' Micro Bok Choy and the company's portfolio of microgreens at a store nearby, visit About AeroFarms New AeroFarms, Inc. (AeroFarms) is the leading U.S. provider of microgreens, commanding over 70% of the retail market share1. AeroFarms is at the forefront of sustainable agriculture, leveraging patented aeroponics technology, automated conveyance systems, robotics, and AI to cultivate healthy microgreens that thrive. AeroFarms uses 100% renewable energy and is climate-agnostic, growing plants year-round, regardless of geography and weather conditions. As a Certified B Corporation, AeroFarms is dedicated to meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. Learn more and find AeroFarms microgreens nearby at Sources 1. NielsenIQ Latest 52 Weeks W/E 3/15/25 and internal AeroFarms calculations. 2. 6 Health Benefits of Microgreens View source version on Contacts For more information, contact:
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Global Aeroponic Market to Surge from USD 3.92 Billion in 2025 to USD 24.27 Billion by 2035, Driven by Vertical Farming & Precision Agriculture
The USA aeroponic market is poised for strong growth, driven by rising demand for sustainable, high-yield farming. Government support for precision agriculture and resource-efficient horticulture further fuels expansion, with commercial growers and urban farms embracing aeroponic systems. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.3% from 2025 to 2035. NEWARK, Del, March 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As sustainable farming methods gain traction, the global aeroponic market is set for substantial growth in the coming years. Commercial growers to produce vegetables, herbs, and fruits year-round in controlled environments are increasingly adopting aeroponics, a water-efficient and space-optimized cultivation technique. This shift is driven by rising consumer demand for fresh, high-quality produce, accelerated urbanization, population growth, and climate-related challenges. The growing preference for locally sourced food, increasing investments in indoor agriculture initiatives, and advancements in precision farming technology are expected to fuel steady market expansion between 2025 and 2035. The global aeroponic market, projected to be valued at USD 3.92 billion in 2025, is anticipated to reach USD 24.27 billion by 2035, growing at an impressive CAGR of 20%. This surge reflects both the widespread adoption of aeroponic systems in commercial farming and the broader acceptance of high-tech indoor agriculture solutions. Get Ahead with Our Report: Request Your Sample Now! Key Takeaways: The global aeroponic market is projected to experience substantial growth, driven by the increasing need for sustainable and high-efficiency agricultural techniques. Rising concerns about food security, limited arable land, and water conservation are propelling market expansion. North America and Europe lead the market, with Asia-Pacific witnessing rapid adoption due to urbanization and government initiatives. Key players such as AeroFarms (U.S.), LettUs Grow (UK), and Freight Farms (U.S.) continue to drive innovations in aeroponic technology. 'The aeroponic market is poised for rapid growth as sustainability and food security become top priorities for governments and private enterprises. The ability to produce high yields with minimal water and land usage makes aeroponics an ideal solution for the future of agriculture. Additionally, the integration of AI, IoT, and smart farming technologies will further enhance efficiency and scalability, making aeroponic farming a mainstream agricultural practice in the coming years.' - says Nandini Roy Choudhury, Client Partner at Future Market InsightsAeroponic Farming Systems for Urban Agriculture Aeroponics is gaining traction in urban agriculture, particularly in regions facing space constraints and soil degradation. The ability to cultivate crops in a controlled environment makes aeroponic farming systems an ideal choice for urban settings. Cities across the globe are adopting aeroponic vertical farms, reducing reliance on traditional supply chains and enhancing food security. Benefits of Aeroponics Over Traditional Soil Farming One of the primary advantages of aeroponic farming is its ability to use up to 95% less water than traditional soil-based methods. By delivering nutrients directly to plant roots via mist, aeroponic systems enhance plant growth, reduce water wastage, and eliminate soil-borne diseases. Additionally, the controlled environment minimizes the need for pesticides, making aeroponics a cleaner and more sustainable alternative. Aeroponic Technology in Sustainable Agriculture Practices As sustainability becomes a central focus in agriculture, aeroponic technology is playing a pivotal role in reducing resource consumption while maximizing yields. The integration of precision agriculture techniques, such as automated nutrient delivery and climate-controlled environments, further enhances the efficiency of aeroponic farming. These advancements are helping farmers produce high-quality crops while significantly reducing their environmental footprint. Explore the Full Report for Detailed Insights! Commercial Applications of Aeroponic Systems in Vertical Farming The commercial sector is increasingly adopting aeroponic systems for large-scale vertical farming. High-value crops such as leafy greens, herbs, and strawberries are among the most commonly grown in aeroponic setups due to their rapid growth cycles and high market demand. Leading agribusinesses and food retailers are investing in aeroponic farming solutions to ensure a consistent supply of fresh produce year-round. Cost Analysis of Implementing Aeroponic Farming Methods While the initial investment in aeroponic systems can be higher than traditional farming methods, long-term benefits outweigh the costs. Reduced water consumption, higher crop yields, and lower dependency on chemical fertilizers lead to cost savings over time. Many governments and private investors are offering financial incentives to support the adoption of aeroponic farming, further driving market growth. Aeroponics Market Growth Trends and Future Projections The global aeroponics market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% in the next decade, driven by increasing consumer demand for pesticide-free and locally grown produce. Advances in aeroponic technology, coupled with rising investments in AgTech startups, are expected to accelerate market expansion. North America and Europe currently lead the market, while Asia-Pacific is witnessing rapid adoption due to urbanization and population growth. Integration of IoT in Aeroponic Farming Systems The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology is enhancing the efficiency of aeroponic farming systems. IoT-enabled sensors provide real-time data on humidity, nutrient levels, and plant growth, allowing farmers to optimize conditions for maximum yield. Smart automation and AI-driven analytics are further improving productivity, making aeroponic farming more scalable and Analysis: North America: Dominates the market due to advanced agricultural technology, increasing urban farming projects, and the presence of major industry players. Europe: High adoption rate driven by government regulations promoting sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Asia-Pacific: Rapidly growing market with increasing adoption in countries like China, India, and Japan, supported by urbanization and food security concerns. Latin America & Middle East: Emerging markets showing potential growth due to investment in sustainable farming practices. Emerging and Trending Ingredients Industry Analysis: Competitive Outlook Rising demand for sustainable farming methods, high-yield crop growth, and the effective use of water in farming contributes these factors to the growth of the aeroponic market. AI-powered aeroponic systems, vertical farming automation, and smart nutrient delivery systems are being adopted by companies to boost crop yields, resource efficiency, as well as scalability. This landscape encompasses agritech innovators, commercial vertical farming companies, greenhouse automation players, and research institutes, all working on innovations in precision agriculture, AI-driven crop monitoring and soil-less agriculture. Key Players: AeroFarms LettUs Grow Ltd. Plenty Unlimited Inc. Freight Farms BrightFarms Aeroponic Market Segmentation By Component: Lighting Sensor Irrigation Component Climate Control Others By Farming Method: Outdoor farming Indoor farming By Solutions: Organic Conventional By Application: Commercial Residential By Region: North America Latin America Western Europe Eastern Europe East Asia South Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa Explore FMI's related ongoing Coverage in Food and Beverage Domain: The organic foods market is likely to record a 12.1% CAGR during the forecast period. The market is likely to reach USD 176.51 billion in 2023 and is expected to be worth USD 553.13 billion in 2033. The global cocoa market is set to observe USD 16.6 billion in 2025. The industry is expected to register 4.7% CAGR from 2025 to 2035, reaching USD 26.2 billion by 2035. The global confectionery ingredients market is set to depict USD 95.12 billion in 2025. The industry is predicted to register 4.8% CAGR from 2025 to 2035 and reach USD 152.01 billion by 2035. The global frozen food market is forecasted to jump from USD 365.2 billion in 2024 to USD 638.6 billion in 2034. Thus, the market's progress is projected to happen at a CAGR of 5.7% for the forecast period. The global frozen dough market size is estimated to reach USD 17,456.2 million in 2024. It is anticipated to register steady growth, with overall demand rising at a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. The frozen sardine market is forecasted to generate a valuation of USD 10,559.8 million by 2034, growing at a 3.6% CAGR over the assessment period. The market is estimated to be valued at USD 6,867.0 million in 2024. The Global Annatto Food Colours Market was worth around USD 232.8 Million in 2025 and is estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 5.0%, to reach a value of around USD 379.2 Million by 2035. The global Food Allergen Testing industry is estimated to be worth USD 900.1 million by 2024. It is projected to reach USD 1,909.3 million by 2034, reflecting a CAGR of 7.8% over the assessment period 2024 to 2034. The global Pet Food Flavor Enhancers industry is estimated to be worth USD 845.1 million by 2024. It is projected to reach USD 1,389.8 million by 2034, reflecting a CAGR of 5.1% over the assessment period 2024 to 2034. According to Algae Fats Market status reports of the forecasting period ending 2035 forecast i.e., this estimate is expected to burgeon from USD 3.2 billion in 2025 up by nine times straight to USD 5.1 billion. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,Suite 401, Newark, Delaware – 19713, USAT: +1-347-918-3531For Sales Enquiries: sales@ Twitter| Blogs | YouTube
BBC News
28-01-2025
- Business
- BBC News
A new life for empty offices: Growing kale and cucumbers
In some cities, as many as one in four office spaces are vacant. Some start-ups are giving them a second life – as indoor farms growing crops as varied as kale, cucumber and herbs. Since its 1967 construction, Canada's "Calgary Tower", a 190m (623ft) concrete-and-steel observation tower in the capital of Alberta, has been home to an observation deck, panoramic restaurants and souvenir shops. Last year, it welcomed a different kind of business: a fully functioning indoor farm. Sprawling across 6,000 square meters (65,00 sq ft), the farm, which produces dozens of crops including strawberries, kale and cucumber, is a striking example of the search for city-grown food. But it's hardly alone. From Japan to Singapore to Dubai, vertical indoor farms – where crops can be grown in climate-controlled environments with hydroponics, aquaponics or aeroponics techniques – have been popping up around the world. While indoor farming had been on the rise for years, a watershed moment came during the Covid-19 pandemic, when disruptions to the food supply chain underscored the need for local solutions. In 2021, $6bn (£4.8bn) in vertical farming deals were registered globally – the peak year for vertical farming investment. As the global economy entered its post-pandemic phase, some high-profile startups like Fifth Season went out of business, and others including Planted Detroit and AeroFarms running into a period of financial difficulty. Some commentators questioned whether a "vertical farming bubble" had popped. But a new, post-pandemic trend may give the sector a boost. In countries including Canada and Australia, landlords are struggling to fill vacant office spaces as companies embrace remote and hybrid work. In the US, the office vacancy rate is more than 20%. "Vertical farms may prove to be a cost-effective way to fill in vacant office buildings," says Warren Seay, Jr, a real estate finance partner in the Washington DC offices of US law firm ArentFox Schiff, who authored an article on urban farm reconversions. There are other reasons for the interest in urban farms, too. Though supply chains have largely recovered post-Covid-19, other global shocks, including climate change, geopolitical turmoil and farmers' strikes, mean that they continue to be vulnerable – driving more cities to look for local food production options. Office-to-farm conversions have made headlines in recent months. Workers are currently aiming to transform a floor of 32-story historic Niels Esperson building in Houston, Texas, into an indoor farm. In September 2024, US indoor farm startup 80 Acres, which opened its first indoor farm inside a vacant building in Hamilton, Ohio, developed a 200,000-sq-ft (18,600-sq-m) facility inside a former commercial building in Florence, Kentucky. One obvious use of vacant office space is to convert it to residential housing. But a vertical farm conversion is, perhaps surprisingly, often easier. "When converting an office space into apartments, you need to carve out individual units, each needing access to natural light and plumbing," Seay says. "That's not an easy task in a building designed for cubicles and conference rooms." On the other hand, the open-plan nature of most modern offices, or warehouses, can be more amenable to indoor farm use. Still, retrofitting, particularly to ensure a space can fit the proper equipment as well as have appropriate electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVC) systems, can be difficult. The Calgary Tower project, developed by the company Agriplay Ventures, has worked to overcome these hurdles. Agriplay uses silo technology, made of 1-by-2.5m (4-by-8ft) wide racks rising up to 3m (10ft) tall, that can easily adapt to any space with ventilation. The modular racks are also easy to remove once a project is done, leaving landlords with the option of converting the premises for different uses, says Agriplay's chief executive Adam Morand. Thanks to artificial light and controlled temperatures, offices are proving surprisingly good environments for indoor agriculture, spurring some companies to convert part of their facilities into small farms. Since 2022, Australia's start-up Greenspace has worked with clients like Deloitte and Commonwealth Bank to turn "dead zones", like the space between lifts and meeting rooms, into 2m (6ft) tall hydroponic cabinets growing leafy greens. On top of being adaptable to indoor farm operations, vacant office buildings offer the advantage of proximity to final consumers. In a former paper storage warehouse in Arlington, about a mile outside of Washington DC, Jacqueline Potter and the team at Area 2 Farms are growing over 180 organic varieties of lettuce, greens, root vegetables, herbs and micro-greens. By serving consumers 10 miles away or less, the company has driven down transport costs and associated greenhouse emissions. This also frees the team up to grow other types of food that can be hard to find elsewhere – such as edible flower species like buzz buttons and nasturtium. "Most crops are now selected to be grown because of their ability to withstand a 1,500-mile journey," Potter says, referring to the average distance covered by crops in the US before reaching customers. "In our farm, we can select crops for other properties like their nutritional value or taste." Overall, vertical farms have the potential to outperform regular farms on several environmental sustainability metrics like water usage, says Evan Fraser, professor of geography at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and the director of the Arell Food Institute, a research centre on sustainable food production. Most indoor farms report using a tiny fraction of the water that outdoor farms use. Indoor farms also report greater output per square mile than regular farms. Energy use, however, is the "Achilles heel" of this sector, says Fraser: vertical farms need a lot of electricity to run lighting and ventilation systems, smart sensors and automated harvesting technologies. But if energy is sourced from renewable sources, they can outperform regular farms on this metric too, he says. Because of variations in operational setup, it is hard to make a general assessment of the environmental, social and economic sustainability of indoor farms, says Jiangxiao Qiu, a landscape ecologist at the University of Florida and author of a study on urban agriculture's role in sustainability. Still, he agrees with Fraser: in general, urban indoor farms have higher crop yield per square foot, greater water and nutrient-use efficiency, better resistance to pests and shorter distance to market. Downsides include high energy use due to lighting, ventilation and air conditioning. They face other challenges, too. As Seay notes, zoning laws often do not allow for agricultural activity within urban areas (although some cities like Arlington, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio, have recently updated zoning to allow indoor farms). This means it is hard for them to produce staple crops like wheat, corn or rice indoors. However, these crops are rarely the focus for indoor farms, as crop range is also a limitation, says Fraser. Aside from leafy greens, most indoor facilities cannot yet produce other types of crops at scale. But as long as the post-pandemic trends of remote work and corporate downsizing will last, indoor farms may keep popping up in cities around the world, Seay says. "One thing cities dislike more than anything is unused spaces that don't drive economic growth," he says. "If indoor farm conversions in cities like Arlington prove successful, others may follow suit." -- For essential climate news and hopeful developments to your inbox, sign up to the Future Earth newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
